1) Field
Embodiments of the present invention pertain to the field of thin-film batteries and, in particular, to thin-film battery methods for complexity reduction.
2) Description of Related Art
Recent efforts towards scaling the dimensions of thin-film batteries to include ever smaller features while increasing capacities for high volume manufacturing of such thin-film batteries have mostly relied on traditional thin-film battery manufacturing methods and techniques. Such traditional methods and techniques may include the use of a shadow mask, or a set of shadow masks, at each and every deposition operation in a typical thin-film battery process flow. For example, in a conventional process, a processing tool is loaded with a shadow mask, deposition of a single layer is performed in the processing tool, and a first shadow mask is then unloaded for replacement with a second shadow mask intended for another deposition operation.
Furthermore, deposition chambers or processing tools for thin-film battery manufacturing are typically fitted with glove boxes having an ambient atmosphere suitable to manage and protect the deposition materials housed in the deposition chamber or processing tool. Such care must often be taken because the deposition materials are often sensitive to normal atmospheric conditions. In some cases, the deposition materials are so sensitive to normal atmospheric conditions that they combust when exposed to these conditions.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a conventional equipment arrangement for manufacturing thin-film batteries. Referring to FIG. 1, a deposition tool 100 suitable for thin-film battery manufacture is equipped with a glove box 102. For example, glove box 102 is typically included with a deposition tool 100 associated with deposition processes. Although not depicted, additional glove boxes are required for use with a lithium chamber or other chambers or processing tools used subsequent to, e.g., air-sensitive layer deposition processes.